María la Gorda · Cuba · Wall · Reef
Ancla del Pirata
A two-ton eighteenth-century anchor grown into the coral
A shallow wall section named for the giant two-ton eighteenth-century anchor that protrudes from the seabed here, wedged against coral promontories and grown over with crustaceans and petrified coral. Wide sandy channels cut through the reef, gorgonians stand along the edge, and the profile stays between 10 and 15 m; the dive centre calls it the most suitable site at María la Gorda for beginners.
Also known as Pirate's Anchor, El Ancla del Pirata.
Where it is and how deep
21.7821° N, 84.5201° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
The anchor is the point of the dive and it is found early. It is a two-ton eighteenth-century piece protruding from the seabed, leaning against coral promontories, and it has been down long enough that crustaceans and petrified coral have taken it over — you are looking at an outline rather than clean metal. Most of the time on this site is spent at 10 to 15 m, so there is no rush to leave it.
From the anchor the site reads as a wall broken up by wide sandy channels, with sponges, corals and gorgonians common along the structure. Barracuda are the fish reported over those channels, and the rest of what you work through on the way round is snappers, bass, wrasse, jacks, angelfish and squirrelfish. One operator gives the site a maximum of 18 m rather than 15 m, so expect the deeper end to depend on which stretch of the edge you are led along before you turn back up into the shallows.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows María la Gorda: Nov–Apr is the dry season with the calmest, clearest water; Aug–Oct carries hurricane risk on this exposed western tip.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Ancla del Pirata?+
The usual profile is 10 to 15 m. One operator lists the site a little deeper, at 18 m, so the maximum depends on how far along the edge the guide takes you.
Is Ancla del Pirata suitable for beginners?+
Yes — the dive centre calls it the most suitable site at María la Gorda for beginners, and the shallow profile keeps it within Open Water limits.
Sources
- Maria La Gorda Ancla del Pirata – Pirate Anchor — cuba-marialagorda.com
- The Pirate's Anchor — Villa Maria la Gorda
- Maria la Gorda Scuba Diving Cuba — netssa.com
- Dive Sites Map Location in María La Gorda — cubadiving.org
More dive sites in María la Gorda
Reef
Shoaling reef fish in 3 to 5 m of water
Wall
Blue-water wall of sponges and sea fans at 27 m
Coral garden
A small wall from 6 to 15 m packed with gorgonians
Coral-covered rock heads lined up with two headlands ashore
Wall
Shoals of jacks, tuna and barracuda on a wall from 18 m
Cave & cavern
A reef cavern with three entrances at around 20 m
Wall
A chimney fracture in the wall from 12 m down to 33 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Wall top at 15 m with a lobster-covered sand flat at 21 m
Two facing walls a quarter mile apart, cut by a prehistoric river
Sand chutes to the wall, plus a small wreck on the sand
Swim-throughs and overhangs on a wall to 21 metres